December 1998

Dear Friends:

As we are approaching the end of 1998, we send holiday greetings and best wishes for 1999!

As you know from the news, this has been a year of financial upheaval in Thailand (and most of Asia). We are happy to report the Thai currency seems to be stabilizing (17 months after the devaluation) and the economists are reporting that for Thailand, the picture is looking better. The Thais have been able to keep inflation in check (about 10%) and although unemployment has risen dramatically, there is optimism for the future.

John and I have had a busy year. We began 1998 with a wonderful family Christmas/New Year celebration. Martha's mother, her sisters, our nephews, son, daughter and son-in-law all came to spend the holidays in Thailand. We had a wonderful time involving them in our life here for two weeks.

January through March we wrapped up the academic year at Payap University where we both work. Martha worked on International Programs, including Elderhostel, and John, his teaching at the seminary and planning for the Institute for the Study of Religion and Culture, which he directs.

On Palm Sunday, in early April, we headed to the United States for a short home assignment of two months. We regret that we did not have time to visit all of our supporting churches and family members. The longer we work in Thailand, the harder we find it to be away for extended periods of time. The academic year in Thailand is June-March, so April and May are natural times to be gone. Once the new term starts we both have responsibilities that we feel we should be here to fulfill.

The time in the States was full, and we were on the road constantly. We visited many seminaries from West to East coasts to share the program that the Institute is launching for seminary students and faculty to come to Thailand to look at Thai religion and missions. Please see the enclosed newsletter from Payap for information about the Institute. We spoke at churches in California and Florida, met with Global Mission personnel at the Presbyterian offices in Louisville, the Lutherans in Chicago, the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, and the Wycliffe Bible Society. In addition, we attended two major academic conferences and visited universities that have ties with Payap University. All in all it was a very good trip.

We arrived back in Thailand on June 10th and the 1998-99 academic year had begun. Once again, we were off and running. John taught two courses at the seminary and prepared for the formal opening of the Institute for the Study of Religion and Culture and the Sinclair Thompson Lectures. Martha resumed her work as assistant to the university president. Included in that work was responsibility for the international programs that are expanding rapidly. Payap is becoming a middle-sized university with over 9,000 students. One of the challenges now is to maintain the university's Christian identity as the student body and faculty numbers increase. Another major challenge is faculty development and leadership training. In the seminary several of the most highly trained faculty will be retiring in the next five years and there are few persons that have been trained to take their places. Long-range faculty development takes both planning and financing. Prayers and support are needed to solve this major problem.

In August, we celebrated the opening of the Institute and the presentation of the Sinclair Thompson lectures. It was a special occasion for us because one of the lecturers this year was Dr. John B. Carman, who was one of John's teachers at Harvard and a good, personal friend. John and his son Peter were with us for one week. After the opening and the lectures we visited a Karen camp outside of Tak on the Thai-Burma border. This was an important visit for all of us to see the courage of the people who have fled Burma and are now living on the Thai side in camps that are burned down periodically by the Burmese. We talked at length with church leaders and saw the children in their Sunday school classes. We encourage all of you to learn more about the situation in Burma and along the borders. These people also need your prayers and support.

One way Payap University is responding to the problems in Burma is by providing education to those who are fortunate enough to have papers and are able to come to Thailand legally. There are now about 18 Burmese students enrolled at PYU. Some are being funded through scholarships from the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. We would like to have more scholarship aid so we can support more students from the region. One American family has recently set up a trust at the UB for such scholarships at PYU. These students have very few resources and with universities closed in their homeland they have little hope for higher education unless they can study abroad. In our next letter we will tell you about some of the Payap students from Burma.

Another growing concern in Thailand, is for the children of parents who have died from HIV-Aids. This term Martha received a call for help for a second-year PYU student whose parents and one brother had died of HIV-Aids. Fortunately, this 20- year old student was born before her parents contracted the disease, so she is free of HIV. She had dropped out of school last term to care for her mother who was dying. We were able to find scholarship aid for her so that she could resume her studies last week. Martha is following up with her to see that she is also getting the psychological support she needs. This case is typical of the dilemma many children in Thailand are now, or will be, facing. These young people also need our prayers and support.

I write this letter from our new (one- year old) home in a lamyai ("dragon's eye", a kind of fruit somewhat similar to lychee) orchard outside of town. It is a beautiful day in the orchard. White billowy clouds dot the pale blue sky and the sound of mowers cutting grass can be heard. This morning I took our two dogs for a run and saw cows grazing and chickens pecking in the grass. It is a peaceful oasis. Surrounding our orchard are several villages. Although we work in the city, we are coming to understand the cycle of life in rural Chiang Mai. We often hear traditional music at night coming from these villages indicating celebrations of life and death. We join our Thai neighbors in conversation about the weather. This year none of us had fruit on our trees because last year's winter was not cold enough to produce a crop and there was also not enough rain. We listen to local gossip and hear tales of domestic violence, HIV and drug addiction and trafficking in the neighborhood. We hear how the price of oil and rice has risen at the local market down the road.

Recently we hosted a Sunday afternoon worship service in our home for the church that John served ten years ago. It is located about 5 kilometers from here and is semi-rural and the place we still call "our church." We were told about 30 people would attend the afternoon family service. But the people just kept coming and we ended up with about 50 adults and 20 children! They all piled into our living room, sat on the floor, and had a wonderful time singing and worshipping together.

May God's love fill your hearts and may peace, happiness and good health be with you in the upcoming holiday season and New Year. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. We hope to hear from you soon.

Peace and Love,

Martha and John